I've never been one that needed to buy coins that were mint state. I like finding nice gently circulated pieces that fit my budget. I picked this up at yesterdays Heritage Longbeach sale and while it isn't a cheap coin it is far less expensive than a mint state example would be. It may not be perfectly struck either but I have been looking for an affordable example of one of these for a while. 1/2 Thalers of this design seem to be much more common and Thalers are uber-expensive. Obverse: Crowned double-headed eagle with two shields below and one on breast Obverse Legend: FRANCISCVS · D · G · ROM · IMP · S · A · 1747 NACH DEM REICHS FVS· 2/3 C·P·S· Engraver: Christian Philipp Spangenberg Reverse: St. George standing on dragon, shields at left and right Reverse Legend: MONETA CASTRI IMP · FRIDBERG. Ruler: Johann Eitel II NGC AU50
While I've had periods of "Mint State Madness", for most of my collecting life I too have never had any objections to a circulated piece that wore well. And all the more so if they're friendlier to the budget. Congratulations on a very cool coin with an interesting design. Though I must say it is rather mean of ol' Saint George to be trampling that poor, defenseless penguin like that, wouldn't you agree?
That is a very interesting coin. And quite handsome too. I had wondered before about how popular a thread may be that represented insensitive sorts of imagery of ages past. Like the robust Lady Liberty on the 19th century bust halves or the exposed Type 1 SLQ's and the like. Man, this would be perfect for a thread like that. Isn't it interesting how our views change over the years?
Beautiful! Excellent acquisition! Thanks, me Lord. That was the first gut laugh I had today. Off topic - how was the Long Beach extravaganza? I like to go for the Tyrant Collection exhibitions; utterly fantastic. Wait a minute . . . You went yesterday? Tuesday? I didn't think it started so early.
He never seems to be fighting BIG dragons. St. George is the patron saint of England, true, but is venerated in many other places as well. Notably Georgia, which I think is likely named after him. (That would be Georgia the country, not the US state.) He's on their coat of arms.
A very nice example of City Coinage from Friedberg in Hessen! Here is a full description of your coin: Hessen Friedberg, Reichsburg Hans Eitel Diede II. zum Fürstenstein, 1725-1751. 1/2 Reichstaler = 2/3 Rechnungstaler 1747, Clausthal, mit Titel Kaiser Franz I. St. Georg mit Fahne steht über Drachen zwischen den Wappen von Friedberg und Kaichen / Doppeladler, auf der Brust das Wappen von Österreich, in den Fängen die Wappen des Burggrafen und seiner Gemahlin, Euphrosine Susanne von Degenfeld. Dav. 519 Lejeune 76 b Eichelmann 93 b Friedberg is a medium-size town just north of Frankfurt. It has a very rich history going back to Roman times and before them, the Celts. It also has a small university (which my son currently attends)
This is a beautiful coin. Thank you and @Eduard for teaching me that I don't need all these coins to be MS.
Especially when they're a few centuries old! It would be one thing if you collected moderns that were readily available in MS. But circulation is the natural state of most older coins.
